The present invention is directed to the use of aqueous sodium or potassium methioninate solutions for supplementing industrially produced mixed fodders with methionine.
The essential aminoacid methionine for a long time to a considerable extent has been produced synthetically and used as a fodder additive, especially in industrially produced mixed fodders for poultry, pigs, and other agriculturally useful animals. However, problems occur in storing and processing methionine. Methionine present in crystalline form is not pourable without special measures and during the storing can stick together if this is not avoided through suitable expensive crystallization conditions. If the methionine is present in powder form, in a given case, with the addition of a flow maintaining agent, then there occurs in the handling the problem of dust formation which occurs with all powdery materials.
A further point is the exact dosaging and homogeneous distribution of solid methionine in mixed fodder. Industrially produced mixed fodder particularly serves for the nourishment of various agriculturally useful animals such as poultry, e.g. chickens, turkeys, and ducks, pigs, cattle, sheep, horses, and goats, as well as for the nourishment of domestic animals, e.g. dogs and cats. The mixed fodder in each case contains as a rule all the necessary nutrients for the respective type of animal in balanced and sufficient amount. It consists of different individual foddering agents, e.g. soybean meal, corn, other types of grains, mill by-products such as corn or corn gluten meal, meat meal, fish meal, of fodder fat, molasses, calcium acid phosphate, cattle lick, as well as other components of plant, animals, or mineral origin. Additionally, mixed fodder contains materials which are employed to improve the physiological nourishment effect of the mixed fodder. Among these are aminoacids such as methionine, as well as vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and preservatives.
The composition of the mixed fodder is subject to change depending on the supply and price of the components. However, thereby the recipe is always so structured that the nutrient content corresponds to the requirements of the animals in each case.
Industrially produced mixed fodders for broilers, laying hens, and fattening hogs, for example, can contain the compositions given in the following Table 1.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Composition of Industrially Produced Mixed Fodders for Broilers, Laying Hens and Fattening Hogs (Examples) Broiler Laying Hen Fattening Hog Fodder Fodder Fodder Feedstock Portion in % Portion in % Portion in % ______________________________________ Soybean meal 33.6 15.2 3.4 Corn 30.2 25.0 73.7 Wheat 10.0 14.7 -- Wheat bran 1.3 15.0 12.0 Corn gluten feed -- 2.8 -- Sunflower -- -- 6.0 groats Green alfalfa -- 2.0 -- meal Tapioca 10.0 10.0 -- Meat meal -- -- 2.0 Meat & bone 3.0 -- -- meal Meat scraps 3.0 -- -- Molasses -- 3.0 -- Animal Fat 7.0 0.8 -- Dicalciumphos- 0.46 0.98 0.56 phate/Lime phosphate Carbonated 0.47 9.45 1.33 lime fodder Iodized Cattle 0.24 0.36 0.36 salt DL-Methionine 0.223 0.157 0.031 L-Lysine. -- -- 0.161 HCl Minerals, Trace up to up to up to elements, 100% 100% 100% vitamins, other additives ______________________________________
The various individual fodder agents and additives are first present as individual components. According to their condition they must be prepared, e.g. by grinding, forming meals, drying, or purification. If the individual components have the necessary condition the true mixing process is carried out in a suitable mixing apparatus. The individual mixing batches thereby are different depending on the size of the apparatus. To produce a homogeneous mixture there is required a sufficient exactness of mixing. For components which are present in only slight concentration in the final mixed fodder the production of a correspondingly more highly concentrated premixture is unavoidable. In the supplementing of mixed fodders with methionine there are used rather low concentrations in the range of 0.01 to 1.0 weight percent. For this also the production of a special premixture which contains methionine in correspondingly higher concentration is unavoidable in order to attain a homogeneous distribution in the mixed fodder.
Since the free methionine which is utilized by organisms in the same manner as methionine set free through enzymatic protein hydrolysis is only slightly soluble in water, the use of fluid aqueous formulations for supplementing industrially produced mixed fodders with methionine was previously not practicable.